Photo Credits: Sophia Wallick

Monday’s action at Southampton High School between the Southampton Breakers and South Shore Clippers had all the atmosphere of a playoff game with Southampton needing a win to clinch a playoff spot with South Shore trying not to lose to remain in the hunt.

Ultimately, both teams finished deadlocked in a 10-10 eight-inning tie as the Southampton Breakers remained one point ahead of South Shore going into the last day of the HCBL regular season on Tuesday.

The Breakers would get the first run of the game in the top of the first inning on an RBI double from Collin Quintano (Villanova). South Shore would respond scoring three runs in the bottom of the first to lead 3-1 after one inning.

Southampton would respond in the top of the second with a five-run inning highlighted by a three-run home run from Tim Hennig (Binghamton) that broke a 3-3 tie.

The Breakers would add three more runs in the top of the fourth inning giving them a 9-3 lead over the Clippers going into the bottom of the fourth. South Shore would get a run in the bottom of the inning a Breaker error cutting the score to 9-4.

Going into the bottom of the sixth inning down by five runs the Clippers would work their way back. Trey McGowan (SUNY Oswego) singled in a run to make it a 9-5 game and then Anthony Armenia (Bridgeport) worked a walk with the bases loaded putting the go-ahead run at the plate for South Shore.

James Eden (Adelphi) brought in two runs to score on a single with two outs and all of a sudden the Clippers were only down a run. After a walk to Joe Hackal (St. Joseph’s-Long Island) to load the bases, Jake Acker (Wesleyan) worked a walk to bring in the tying run to score. Louis Kaleb (Albany) would follow singling in a run however Hackal would be thrown out trying to advance to third base ending the inning.

South Shore now had a 10-9 as the Breakers came up to bat in the top of the seventh. Beau Durbin (Bradley) would hit the most dramatic home run of the 2024 HCBL season with a home run off the right field foul pole to tie the score at 10-10. The home run was Durbin’s first of the season and it couldn’t have come at a better time for the Breakers.

The Breakers would load the bases with two outs in the seventh but Danny Tiedemann (Marywood) who was in his fourth inning of relief for South Shore would get out of the jam as the Breakers came out of the inning with just the run from the Durbin home run.

The Clippers failed to score in the bottom of the seventh as both teams headed out for the eighth and final inning.

Despite a leadoff single in the top of the eighth from Ty Gilligan (Dominican) the Breakers failed to score as the Clippers came up to bat for the bottom of the eighth.

James Myler (Bryant) and Eden worked walks putting runners at first and second with nobody out. The Breakers went with Joseph Wozny (RIT) from the bullpen to try and preserve the tie. Hackal came up to bat trying to sacrifice as Luke Fisher (William & Mary) made an amazing catch on a pop-up and doubled off Eden at first base for a 5-5-3 double play.

Wozny would get Acker to ground out to shortstop to end the game in a 10-10 tie as the Breakers remained one point ahead of the final playoff spot.

The Breakers can clinch the final playoff spot tomorrow with a win at Westhampton or a Clippers loss against the Ospreys in Peconic. The Clippers can clinch the final playoff spot with either a win or a tie at North Fork and a Breakers loss against Westhampton.